XN000022-1984-02-28 — Page 5

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1984

Q: CAN I THEN TAKE IT THAT YOU ARE ENDORSING THE MOTION PUT FORWARD BY MR LOBO? AND ARE YOU AFRAID THAT IF THERE IS A DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WHETHER IT WILL ACTUALLY AFFECT THE PROGRESS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS?

A: I CERTAINLY WILL NOT SAY I ENDORSE OR NOT ENDORSE ANY MEASURES FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO DETERMINE. BUT, I HAVE NOTED, AND YOU WILL NOTE, THAT IN THE QUEEN'S SPEECH OF LAST SUMMER, WE MADE IT QUITE PLAIN OURSELVES, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S OBJECTIVE IS THAT ANY AGREEMENT, OUR AIM IS THAT ANY AGREEMENT, SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. NOW YOU MUST THEREFORE SEE THAT MOTION, AS I UNDERSTAND THE MOTION TO BE, THIS IS A MATTER FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. I AM NOT GOING TO SEEK TO DICTATE TO THEM WHAT THEY SHOULD DO AND SAY, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PROCEDURES. AND THEY WILL EXPRESS THE IR OWN VIEWS. AND I SHALL LISTEN AND HEAR WITH VERY GREAT INTEREST TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.

0:

ARE YOU AFRAID IT WILL AFFECT THE PROGRESS OF THE TALKS IF IT IS DEBATED?

A:

Q:

CAN I, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT I COULDN'T HEAR?

ARE YOU AFRAID IT WILL AFFECT THE PROGRESS OF THE TALKS IF IT IS DEBATED AND, LET'S SAY, THEY COME OUT AGAINST THE DRAFT SOLUTION WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN REACHED, AND THEN IT IS LIKE GOING BACK TO STAGE ONE AGAIN?

A: WELL, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IN MID-MARCH YOU ARE ANTICIPATING THAT THERE IS A DRAFT SOLUTION BY MID-MARCH WHICH THEY ARE GOING TO DEBATE. THIS IS NOT, I UNDERSTAND, THE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES. I THINK YOU ARE, IF I MAY SAY SO, SLIGHTLY MUDDLING THE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THIS DEBATE IS TAKING PLACE. YOU KNOW WHAT THE MOTION IS, YOU KNOW WHAT THE QUEEN'S SPEECH SAYS-

I DON'T SEE ANY PROBLEM OR ANY DIFFICULTY AND I THINK IT IS GOOD THAT THEY ARE EXPRESSING THE IR VIEWS. LET THEM EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS.

Q: SINCE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WILL NOT KNOW WHAT THE AGREEMENT IS UNTIL IT HAS BEEN REACHED, IF THEY EXPRESS DISLIKE OF ANY PARTICULAR ASPECTS OF IT, ARE YOU PREPARED TO GO BACK TO PEKING AND SAY: 'WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE THIS?'

A: WELL. LET ME SAY THIS.

LET ME SAY THIS. THAT WE ARE GIVING NOW, OBVIOUSLY, VERY VERY CAREFUL THOUGHT TO THE BEST WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN GIVE A CHANCE, THE BEST POSSIBLE CHANCE, TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON THEIR FUTURE. AND WE HAVEN'T REACHED ANY FINAL DECISIONS ON THIS. THERE ARE VARIOUS THOUGHTS IN OUR MIND. THERE ARE VARIOUS PROCEDURES THAT WE MAY WANT TO GO THROUGH. AND, CLEARLY THE QUESTION OF GIVING ADEQUATE TIME TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO ASSESS ALL THIS AND TO GIVE US THEIR VIEWS. AND, CERTAINLY, THIS IS A MATTER ON WHICH WE ARE GIVING THE HIGHEST OF PRIORITIES.

/Q: HOW WOULD

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